I decided to look around at other senior forums. I found that many of the folks who are currently in here, are in other forums, many using the same icons/avatars and names they use in here, or their actual names, first and last.
What I found more interesting, though, is that those who were banned, in here, came back, and then left in a huff, are on other forums, spewing the same nonsense they did, in here. The difference is that in those other forums they've found many kindred souls who approve of their drivel.
This, for me, confirms what (I think) we all know about the internet: No matter how whacked out you are, no matter how disgusting your take on things may be, on the internet you will always find others who share your warped ideas, as long as you do a little searching.
With the above in mind, I believe I see the internet for what it is: While it may unite us, in a very broad sense, as we communicate with each other, ultimately it stokes our divisive nature, as a species, as it lets outliers validate their twisted take on life by hearing encouraging words from other outcasts of society. One needs only to watch the nightly news, or click on a news site, online, to see the terrible consequences of that.
Yeah, we all wonder how we'd get along without the internet. Any Luddite leanings I may have, aside, and my use of the internet to communicate for business and non-business reasons bearing witness to its value to me, I actually would like to see the internet go away, although I'm positive that will not happen, until our species either destroys itself in some global conflagration, or a ruling, worldwide government does a serious crackdown. I think the former is more likely, Big Brother notwithstanding. (Yes, I know, one of the main reasons the internet was designed was to prevent a breakdown of communication, for military operations, during an all-out war.)
Obviously, I can easily choose to not be online. I'm not the problem, though, as I see it (LOL!). Most of the above hit me when I saw one of our "alums" on another forum. This guy, I really disliked, when he was in here. He posted dreck, and was banned a few times. On this other forum, though, he's a damn hero. Everything he posts, he gets praised on, including kudos from the moderator of the forum! Man - - -
(Yep, he could say negative things about me, I know. Again, here we have the internet simply shining the spotlight on how different we all are, in many ways, and keeping those differences front and center.)